Above ground pool with reinforcing member

ABSTRACT

An above ground pool includes a pool body, an air inflatable ring member, and a reinforcing member. The pool body has a bottom wall and a surrounding wall that extends upwardly and integrally from a periphery of the bottom wall and that has a distal top edge. The air inflatable ring member has a lower ring part connected integrally to the distal top edge of the surrounding wall. The reinforcing member is mounted in the ring member, and ensures that a central ring axis of the ring member is generally concentric with and does not extend outside a circular area bounded by the distal top edge of the surrounding wall.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The invention relates to an above ground pool, more particularlyto an above ground pool with a reinforcing member.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, a conventional above ground pool 9 isshown to comprise a pool body 91 and an air inflatable ring member 92.The pool body 91 is formed from a unitary sheet of water-impermeablematerial, and has a bottom wall 911 and a surrounding wall 912 thatextends upwardly and integrally from a periphery of the bottom wall 911.The surrounding wall 912 has a diameter that decreases gradually fromthe periphery of the bottom wall 911 to a distal top edge of thesurrounding wall 912. The air inflatable ring member 92 is integrallyconnected to the distal top edge of the surrounding wall 92 of the poolbody 91. In view of its simple configuration, the conventional aboveground pool 9 is commonly found in households.

[0005] During assembly, after the bottom wall 911 of the above groundpool 9 is spread flat on a ground surface (see FIG. 2), and air isinflated into the air inflatable ring member 92, water can then befilled into the pool body 91 (see FIG. 3). As the water starts to fillthe pool body 91, the surrounding wall 912 of the pool body 91 is pulledupwardly by the buoyancy of the air inflatable ring member 92, therebygradually stretching the surrounding wall 912 until the water fills upthe pool body 91 completely, as shown in FIG. 4. However, if the aboveground pool 9 is spread unevenly on the ground surface, and when waterstarts to fill the pool body 91, a stronger outward pressure is presenton one side 912′ of the surrounding wall 912, thereby causing a centralring axis of the ring member 92 to extend outside a circular areabounded by the distal top edge of the surrounding wall 912, and therebyspilling the water inside the pool 9 (see FIG. 5). Furthermore,manufacturers often use a material having poor tensile force for theconventional above ground pool 9 so as to lower costs. Thus, when waterin the pool 9 reaches the upper part of the air inflatable ring member92, the distal top edge of the surrounding wall 912 will have a tendencyto fold outwardly due to the weaker tensile strength such that thecentral ring axis of the ring member 92 is disposed outside the circulararea bounded by the distal top edge of the surrounding wall 912, therebyspilling the water inside the pool 9 (see FIG. 6).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to providean above ground pool with a reinforcing member so as to overcome theaforementioned drawbacks of the prior art.

[0007] Accordingly, an above ground pool of the present inventioncomprises a pool body, an air inflatable ring member, and a reinforcingmember. The pool body is formed from a unitary sheet of pliablewater-impermeable material, and has a bottom wall and a surroundingwall. The surrounding wall extends upwardly and integrally from aperiphery of the bottom wall, has a distal top edge distal to the bottomwall, and further has a diameter that decreases gradually in a directionfrom the periphery of the bottom wall to the distal top edge of thesurrounding wall. The air inflatable ring member has an upper ring part,a lower ring part that is connected integrally to the distal top edge ofthe surrounding wall, and a central ring axis. The reinforcing member ismounted in the ring member to ensure that the central ring axis isgenerally concentric with and does not extend outside a circular areabounded by the distal top edge of the surrounding wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent in the following detailed description of the preferredembodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

[0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional above ground pool;

[0010] FIGS. 2 to 4 are schematic views illustrating the consecutivesteps for preparing the above ground pool of FIG. 1 in a condition foruse;

[0011]FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating how spilling of wateroccurs when a bottom wall of the conventional above ground pool isspread unevenly on a ground surface;

[0012]FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating how spilling of wateroccurs when water is filled up to the upper part of an air inflatablering member of the conventional above ground pool;

[0013]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of anabove ground pool according to the present invention; and

[0014]FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional schematic view of the preferredembodiment taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0015] Referring to FIG. 7, the preferred embodiment of an above groundpool 10 according to the present invention is shown to comprise a poolbody 1, an air inflatable ring member 2, and a reinforcing member 3. Thepool body 1 is formed from a unitary sheet of pliable water-impermeablematerial, and has a bottom wall 11 and a surrounding wall 12. Thesurrounding wall 12 extends upwardly and integrally from a periphery 111of the bottom wall 11, and has a distal top edge 121 distal to thebottom wall 11. The surrounding wall 12 further has a diameter thatdecreases gradually in a direction from the periphery 111 of the bottomwall 11 to the distal top edge 121 of the surrounding wall 12.

[0016] The air inflatable ring member 2 has an upper ring part 21, alower ring part 22 that is connected integrally to the distal top edge121 of the surrounding wall 12, and a central ring axis.

[0017] The reinforcing member 3 is mounted in the ring member 2, andincludes an annular strip bonded to and extending along the upper ringpart 21 of the ring member 2, thereby increasing the tensile strength ofthe above ground pool 10. The reinforcing member 3 ensures that thecentral ring axis is generally concentric with and does not extendoutside a circular area bounded by the distal top edge 121 of thesurrounding wall 12, as best illustrated in FIG. 8.

[0018] The consecutive steps for preparing the above ground pool 10 in acondition for use is substantially similar to the aforementioned stepsof the conventional pool. Particularly, water is filled into the poolbody 1 after the air inflatable ring member 2 is inflated. Thesurrounding wall 12 of the pool body 1 is pulled upwardly by thebuoyancy of the ring member 2, thereby gradually stretching thesurrounding wall 12. Regardless of whether or not the bottom wall 11 ofthe pool body 1 is spread evenly on the ground, and even when water isfilled up to the upper ring part 21 of the ring member 2, the presenceof the reinforcing member 3 can ensure that the central ring axis of thering member 2 is concentric with and does not extend outside a circulararea bounded by the distal top edge 121 of the surrounding wall 12.Thus, spilling of the water can be prevented. Furthermore, since thereinforcing member 3 is disposed in the ring member 2, it does notaffect the appearance of the above ground pool 10.

[0019] While the present invention has been described in connection withwhat is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isunderstood that this invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included withinthe spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompassall such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

I claim:
 1. An above ground pool comprising: a pool body formed from aunitary sheet of pliable water-impermeable material and having a bottomwall and a surrounding wall that extends upwardly and integrally from aperiphery of said bottom wall, that has a distal top edge distal to saidbottom wall, and that further has a diameter that decreases gradually ina direction from said periphery of said bottom wall to said distal topedge of said surrounding wall; an air inflatable ring member having anupper ring part, a lower ring part that is connected integrally to saiddistal top edge of said surrounding wall, and a central ring axis; and areinforcing member mounted in said ring member to ensure that saidcentral ring axis is generally concentric with and does not extendoutside a circular area bounded by said distal top edge of saidsurrounding wall.
 2. The above ground pool as claimed in claim 1,wherein said reinforcing member includes an annular strip bonded to andextending along said ring member.
 3. The above ground pool as claimed inclaim 2, wherein said annular strip is bonded to and extends along saidupper ring part of said ring member.